22nd Woods Hole Film Festival begins this weekend

A scene from The Golden Scallop, a comedy shot on Cape Cod by Eastham-based director Joseph Laraja. Screen capture from trailer.

Fresh off the 15th season of the Provincetown Film Festival in June, the 22nd Woods Hole Film Festival begins this weekend. This year, the Cape's longest running film festival will showcase a record 33 feature length films along with 70 other narratives, documentaries and animated films.

Filmmakers, directors, producers and writers come from all over the world to take part in the festival held in one of the Cape's loveliest seaside villages.

This year according to Ellen Gitelman, WHFF spokesperson, there are several films with a Cape Cod connection.

By the Way Home, a feature length film directed by Isaak James is about Brooke, a young woman with a story that rings true for many young Americans today. Brooke returns home to the Cape to work in her family's restaurant after losing her teaching job and is forced to face her past and a future she hadn't planned for. James, who was born and raised on Cape Cod, shot the film in the winter in Brewster, Chatham and Provincetown.

By the Way Home is screening on Monday, July 29 at 9 p.m. in MBL's Redfield Auditorium.

Eastham-based director Joseph Laraja's The Golden Scallop will have two screenings, 9 p.m. on Saturday, July 27 and 7 p.m. on Friday, August 2 at the Redfield Auditorium. The feature length film promises excitement and hilarity as three Cape Cod cooks vie for the Golden Scallop award in a fried seafood battle. The movie looks like it belongs in the must see column for fans of mockumentary style comedies such as Waiting for Guffman and Drop Dead Gorgeous. Watch The Golden Scalloptrailer here.

Mass Dolphin Stranding screens on Wednesday, July 31 at 5 p.m. in the Redfield Auditorium.

The following films also have a Cape Cod connection:

Art Is a Verb: short doc by former Cape Cod resident Sky Sabin and featuring interviews with Cape Cod luthier Steve Connor of Connor Guitars

Commencement: narrative feature by Steve Albrezzi, who spent all his summers on the Cape (since his mother was born in Hyannis), and starring Marin Hinkle (Two and a Half Men), who was born in Falmouth

Halfway Somewhere Else: short by Avery Rimer and shot in part in Truro

Hollow: short film by Woods Hole resident Lisa Robinson

Lambing Season: narrative short by Jeannie Donohue and executive and associate produced by a few Falmouth/Mashpee folks

My Name Is Al: documentary short by Woods Hole residents Kristin and Ken Alexander and filmed entirely on the Cape

Pretty: narrative short by Alex Lubiner and starring Merissa Morin, who spends every summer on the Cape, and Darrie Lawrence, who worked several summers at the Monomoy Theater in Chatham

The Last Song Before the War: feature documentary by Cape native Kiley Kraskouskas, which tells the incredible story of Mali's annual Festival in the Desert – a music festival that brings together some of the biggest musicians in the world like Robert Plant and Jimmy Buffet to play with the legendary nomadic Tuaregs of the Sahara. Sadly, the festival is now in exile given the recent Tuareg rebellion-turned Islamic extremist take over of Northern Mali which has destabilized the region.

In addition to screenings, the Woods Hole Film Festival features five filmmakers in residence, panel discussions, parties, workshops, music and a kids day.

For tickets and information, visit the Woods Hole Film Festival site here.

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